Home
by iconoclasticGentleman
Summary: It is Christmas, and you are happy. / Based on the fansong "Home" by PhemieC, this is a short glimpse into the lives of our four beta kids on the most wonderful day of the year. There's no place like home for the holidays, right?


**Finally, the site is back up! Anyways... so. It's not fluffy Christmas USUK – but in some ways, it's just as good. I love Homestuck so much. I can only hope that I'll be able to post more of this fandom in 2014.**

**Happy holidays, everyone! :)**

* * *

Your name is John Egbert, and you're pretty sure that there is no such thing as "Christmas cake", no matter what your dad says.

Christmas cookies? Yeah. Pastries, strudels? They're all over. Fruitcake? That stuff's not worthy of the title of cake, or at least that's what your dad would say.

But Christmas cake? Sounds like a gross American invention.

"John! The Christmas Cake is ready!" Argh.

"Coming, Dad!" You call down the stairs, hopping off your computer, sadly abandoning your gifs of Nicolas Cage. This is stupid, you think.

Yet when you hurry down the stairs and into the kitchen and see your dad standing there with a gaudy red-and-green, Betty Crocker cake, you can't help but smile.

"We're having dessert before dinner? That's a first," you joke as he sets the cake down and gently cuts you a slice, taking care not to disturb the elaborate Christmas tree he's iced on the top.

Your Dad smiles at you and hands you the plate. "Don't get your hopes up, son. It won't become a habit."

You chuckle and take a bite of the cake, and it tastes great, like all of your dad's cakes do. Even when you're annoyed with them, you have to appreciate his baking mastery. He smiles at you and you smile back and his eyes light up with pride, a pride you don't yet understand but cherish nonetheless. "Merry Christmas, John."

"Merry Christmas, Dad!"

* * *

Your name is Jade Harley, and - "More sticks, Bec? Oh gosh, what are we going to do with them all?"

Your best friend wags his tail at you and drops more sticks on your lap, grinning in that doggy way he has and you grin back, setting them aside in your giant pile. "That makes... forty-two," you say, standing up with a grunt. "How about we put some of them over the fire! I could make something cool with them..."

You sit down next to the warm fireplace as Bec drags a couple of sticks over to you, and you reach for the basket of wires and things next to you. You never know when or where you're going to need things like that! At least, that's your philosophy.

You wrap some wire around the sticks crudely, smiling as you arrange them just right, in a little bundle before tying a big bow around them. Then you put them on top of the fireplace just before Bec tugs at your pant leg.

"Okay, okay," you laugh, climbing down and petting him. "Let's go play."

You scamper towards the door with Bec at your heels, waving to Grandpa and telling him, "We'll be back soon! I promise I'll be careful." Then you fling the door open and bound out into the snow, Bec barking happily with you.

You frolic in the snow with him and he tackles you and you laugh like there's no tomorrow while you hug your best friend, your protector. The shaggy white dog blends into the snow falling from the sky and you lie with him and make snow angels and eventually just stare up at the gray sky, smiling.

"Merry Christmas, Bec."

"Woof!"

"Whoa! Ahaha, good dog!"

* * *

Your name is Dave Strider, and your brother is stupid.

If he ever heard you say that, it probably wouldn't end well for you. But in the comforts of your own mind, you can say whatever you want.

_This is stupid. Get off me, Bro._

"Get off me, Bro!" You screech and flail dramatically and Bro laughs, jumping off of your bed only to replace his weight with something else dumped on your bed. You pull the red and white hat off of your head to see boxes, boxes upon boxes surrounding you with gaudy wrapping paper that looks like something from Sweet Bro and Hella Jeff.

Which is pretty awesome.

Bro laughs at you again and abruptly yanks the hat over your eyes, and as you fumble and get out of bed he disappears, poking his head into the room from the safety of the hallway.

"Get up, little bro! I'll meet you on the roof in five," he says and then disappears.

You grumble some choice words after him and shove boxes off your bed, screaming when one of them falls open and reveals Lil Cal's terrifying eyes staring back at you. Bro's laughter echoes down the stairs and you yell after him, sprinting up the stairs in just your ironic footie pajamas.

You skid to a stop when you reach the roof, momentarily frozen at the sight of snow drifting down onto the roof and barely accumulating there. You've rarely seen snow in this city and unbidden, a smile crosses your face.

Bro grins at you under the shadow of his hat and scoops up a bit of snow. "Merry Christmas, Dave."

"Merry Christmas – oof! Dude, what was that for!"

"Haha, come on, let's strife!"

* * *

Your name is Rose Lalonde and you really dislike the smell of alcohol.

Unfortunately you're surrounded by it, mostly because of the liquor that you're attempting to dab up from the carpet as a dark red stain spreads slowly outward. Your mother is going to be angry about this in the morning, but for now she could care less.

And really, you could care less, too.

Throwing the dishrag onto the floor to cover the stain, you flop down next to your mother on the couch. It's weird, this proximity to her, but you can't say you don't like it.

She glances over and smiles at you, and if her smile is a bit too loose, you pretend to ignore it. "Brandy?"

"I'm only twelve, mother," you say. She winks at you and leans back, propping her feet up on the coffee table and nearly knocking over another bottle of alcohol.

"I know."

And with that, your mother proceeds to close her eyes and in a few quiet moments, she's asleep.

You linger, thinking about maybe going upstairs to grab a book or something, but in the end you can't. You grab the remote and turn on the TV and hum along to Charlie Brown music, accompanied by your mother's soft snores.

"_Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown!_"

"Merry Christmas, Mother."

* * *

**gardenGnostic [GG] at 23:13 opened memo on board YAY FRIENDS :)**

**GG:** hey everybody! merry christmas! :D

**TG:** its not even christmas anymore jade

**EB:** it so is! it's just late. merry christmas, jade :)

**TT:** Dave is just being stubborn for the sake of being stubborn. Merry Christmas, everyone.

**GG:** so, what did you all do for christmas? i wanna know all about it!

**TG:** …

**EB:** …

**TT:** …

**TG:** stayed home

**EB: **Yeah, me too!

**TT:** I also didn't leave the house. What did you do for Christmas, Jade?

**GG:** …

**GG:** yeah, me too

**GG:** there's no place like home for the holidays, right! :D

* * *

**Thanks for reading, everyone! And reviewing, if you'd like. **


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